Before Brooks Koepka’s departure, the ‘Scientist’ was already the face of the league. Now, Bryson DeChambeau holds all the cards. An analysis.
First the latest news: Upon his first appearance at Torrey Pines’ driving range, Brooks Koepka was met with neither hostility nor warmth by former and current colleagues. At most, a friendly indifference greeted the LIV returnee; even Wyndham Clark, a declared skeptic of the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program, has so far remained quiet.
Call with Tiger Woods
‘I’m excited. There are definitely players who are happy and definitely players who will be angry. Some won’t be happy with how everything went,’ the 35-year-old had said some time ago. Yesterday, at the press conference for the Farmers Insurance Open, he politely thanked for the chance and revealed that his first call upon receiving clearance to leave LIV was to Tiger Woods, the influential figure behind the scenes in Ponte Vedra Beach.
‘I wasn’t sure exactly what to do or how to handle things with the PGA Tour, and Tiger was the first person who came to mind since I’ve always had a good relationship with him.’ Koepka knows exactly whose approval really matters…
Major Shift in LIV Dynamics
This article is ultimately about Bryson DeChambeau, but it would be incomplete without addressing Koepka’s case as an introduction. The departure of the giant from Florida has drastically altered the dynamics of the LIV Golf League. The Saudi-backed league suddenly lost 33.3 percent of its key players.
Koepka was one who commanded attention and respect publicly: a five-time major champion with the glamorous Jena Sims by his side, one of only two LIV players to have won a major during their time in the rival circuit. The other is DeChambeau himself, 2020 and 2024 US Open champion, a standout figure in many respects.
DeChambeau Holds the Cards at LIV
Third in the league’s valuable assets is Jon Rahm, not only from a European perspective. Beyond that, LIV’s roster fades into relative insignificance, with a bit of Sergio Garcia, maybe Joaquin Niemann. Patrick Reed draws attention for his controversial reputation, and despite winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic recently, Dustin Johnson missing the cut in the same event went largely unnoticed. Rory McIlroy is spot on saying: ‘They haven’t signed anyone who makes a difference, and I don’t think they will.’
The spotlight firmly shines on 32-year-old Texas transplant Bryson DeChambeau. LIV lives through him, but not necessarily the other way around. DeChambeau recently stated he could envision playing only the majors for the rest of his career and focusing on his YouTube channel, ‘Break 50,’ which boasts nearly three million followers and earns him an estimated $800,000 annually, a figure on the rise.
Guaranteed Pay and Influence at LIV
DeChambeau is aware of his leverage. Without him, many